Singletree



(No Model.)

J. w. YORK,

'SINGLETREE.

No.- 574,469. Patented Jan 5, 1897.

j GVJ UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

JAMES W. YORK, OF I-IILLSDALE, KENTUCKY.

S I N G L ET R E E SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 574,469, dated January 5, 1897. Application filed was, 1896. Serial No. 594,170. (No as.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES W. YORK, a cit-i-.- zen of the United States, residing at Hillsdale, in the county of Simpson and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Singletrees and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,'and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in'the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to horse-detachers, and more particularly to an improved singletree adapted to accomplish detachment of the animal when desirable.

The object of the present invention is the provision of an improved and simple sin gletree having means whereby the traces or trace-chains can be easily and quickly detached therefrom, whereby accidents resulting from runaway teams will be avoided.

Having this object in view, my invention consists of certain novel features and combinations, as will appear-more fully hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan View of my improved singletree; Fig. 2, a rear sideelevation thereof, dotted lines representing the position of the levers when out of engagement with the trace-hooks and showing but one hook in position; Fig. 3, a detail view of a trace-hook, and Fig. 4 a View showing the application of the invention to a y- The sin gletree is designated by the numeral 1, being provided with the usual pivot-bolt hole 2. The ends of the singletree are provided with transverse rectangular trace-hook apertures 3 and 4. The front face of the singletree is provided with metal wear-plates 5 and 6 for the respective trace-hooks, while 7 and 8 designate the wear-plates that are secured to the rear face of the singletree and which are extended and connected to respective metal hanger-loops 9 and 10.

The detaching-levers 11 and 12 are pivoted to these loops by pins or bolts 13 and 14. The short arms of the levers are provided with bottom offsets or catch-lugs 15 and 16, respectively, which are adapted for engagement with the trace-hooks, as will appear more fully later on, while the extremities of the long arms of the levers have apertures 17 and 18, which receive snap-hooks on the ends of suitable leather straps or thongs 19 and 20, that pass up over the dashboard of the vehicle. The detaching-levers are held in normal horizontal position by steel spring-arms 21 and 22, which are adapted to grasp or pinch them.

The trace-hook consists of a hook 23 and a flattened shank 24, formed integral with one of the arms of said hook and provided with a notch 25 in its inner edge. When the tracehook is in position, the flattened shank 24 is located in the aperture in the singletree with the notched edge turned inward and in engagement with the short arm of the detaching-lever, said shank resting on the offset or lug of the latter.

The usual leather loops 26 and 27, that are connected to the cross-bar of the shafts and pass around the singletree need not interfere with the action of my detaching apparatus, as they can be passed around the singletree at the points where the hanger-loops are connected thereto.

Letit be assumed that the trace-hooks are connected to the traces and that the occupant of the buggy desires to detach the horse. This is accomplished by simply giving the thongs 19 and 20 a quick jerk, whereupon the long arms of the levers will be pulled upward and the trace-hooks disengaged from the short arms of said levers. The trace-hooks will then pull out of the singletree and detachment be efiected. The invention can be used in connection with any vehicle having a singletree.

If preferred, suitable thimbles could be secured on the ends of the singletree and provided with apertures and indentations to conform to the present improved features. Other slight modifications might also be resorted to. I do not, therefore, limit myself to the precise construction herein shown and described, but consider that I am entitled to all such variations as come within the spirit and scope of the invention. I,

Having thusdescribed my invention, what I claim as new is In a horse-detacher, the combination with a singletree, of U-shaped trace-hooks each having one leg longer than the other and said leg being flattened and slidable in the singletree, being provided with a notch, and the other end of the hook abutting on the single tree, levers pivoted to the singletree and In testimony whereof I have signed this adapted for reception in the notches, spring specification in the presence of two subscriblocking devices adapted to clasp the levers ing Witnesses.

and hold them in engagement with the hooks, and thongs or straps connected to the free por- \Vitnesses:

tions of the levers whereby the latter maybe JOHN E. MORRIS, operated. M. K. SPEARS.

JAMES \V. YORK. 

